Preview: Heat to play three road games in three days

The Abbotsford Heat will play three road games in three days this weekend with stops in Peoria, Rockford, and Milwaukee. The Heat face the Rivermen (AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues) on Friday night and the IceHogs (AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks) on Saturday, before closing three games in less than 50 hours with Sunday’s matinee against the Admirals (AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators).

The Heat currently lead the North Division with 59 points in 50 games and are one game into a five-game, twelve-day road trip through the Midwest. On Tuesday the Heat suffered a difficult 2-1 loss at the hands of the Milwaukee Admirals, despite outshooting the Admirals 30-18 in the game. It was Abbotsford’s tenth road loss of the season.

The Heat have earned five of a possible six points against Peoria this season, sweeping a season-opening weekend on home ice before losing in a shootout on New Year’s Eve in Illinois. Rockford rallied to beat the Heat 3-2 in their only meeting of the season on December 23rd. The Heat are 2-1-0-0 against Milwaukee this season.

Leading scorer Ben Street (C) and wins leader Danny Taylor (G) return to the Heat line-up this weekend after dressing for a pair of games with the Calgary Flames. Street recorded a pair of shots in each of his games while averaging just less than 13 minutes of ice time, while Taylor was the back-up goaltender for two games and did not see action in either contest. Street was assigned to the Heat on Tuesday, while Taylor cleared waivers and was returned to the Heat on Wednesday.

Paul Byron was recalled by the Flames on February 12th and fractured his left hand in the first period of play on Wednesday night in Calgary. Roman Horak has been recalled by the Flames and will be available to play in Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. Horak leads the Heat with 14 goals and four shootout goals on six attempts. The second-year Czech forward recorded an assist in his two games with the Flames in January.

Following this ‘three-in-three’ stretch, the Heat head to Chicago where they close out their road trip with their eighth and final game of the season against the Chicago Wolves (AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks).